Rock drilling machine



Feb. 18 1958 c. K. BAIN ROCK DRILLING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1952 0 w A 6 MB W MK m V r E L R A H. .W C M v. n; H B m" w n W n U/ I f j I 8 jm F 0 Z Feb. 18, 1958 c. K. BAIN 2,823,899

ROCK-DRILLING MACHINE Filed May 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 CHARLES K. BAIN BY M c. K. BAIN ROCK DRILLING MACHINE Feb. 18, 1958 4 Sheet-Sheet 3 Filed May 8. 1952 I INVENTOR. CHARLES K. BAIN Unitcd a s P t fio ROCK DRILLING MACHINE Charles K. Bain, Bonne Terre, Mo. Application May 8, 1952, Serial No. 286,719

Claims. (Cl. 255-51) ta neously and a number of such holes spaced in a predetermined pattern.

Generally stated the invention comprises a supporting structure which may be suspended from a hoist for lowering the same into a mine shaft. This structure has suspended therefrom a plurality of drilling mechanisms, each arranged on a pivot or hinge so that it may be swung laterally to' any desired position independently of each other. In the embodiment illustrated and described herein, four such mechanisms are provided, each swingable through an arc of about 90 degrees. The supporting structure also has extending downward therefrom a sort of cage, having a floor and adjustable legs whereby the entire machine may be supported on the shaft bottom. Adjustments of the various mechanisms are provided, such that the holes drilled'in the bottom of the shaft may be arranged in any desired pattern. A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which -Fig. l'is'a plan view of a machine embodying this invention. 4 r I g Fig. 2 is a side" elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on line 4-4 joffFig. 1. .Fig. 5 is a detailed section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. .-Fig. 6 is a similar section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 7-7 of Fig. 4. Fig. '8 is an enlarged detailed bottom view on line 8-8 of-Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is anenlarged section on line 9-9 of Fig. 2, showing, additionally, one of the guide rails.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section on line 11-11 I Fig. ,12 is a section on line 12-12 of Fig. 11. i Fig. 13 is a section on line 13-13 of Fig. 12..

Fig. 14 is a section on line 14-14 of Fig. 13. Fig. .15 is anenlarged section on line 15-15 of Fig. 2. Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic plan view of, the shaft bottom illustrating one pattern of drilled holes which may be carried out by this machine.

Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic vertical section of a portion of the shaft bottom illustrating the different angles at which the drills may be set. i

I The machine illustrated in the drawings, comprises a supporting structure which may be suspended from a hoist. This structure comprises an upper horizontal plate 1, a lower horizontal plate 2 and a plurality, in this case four, of vertical web plates 3. See Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The web plates 3 are welded or otherwise secured to the plates land 2 so as to make a rigid box-like structure. At points near. thecenter of the plates 1 and 2 butolfset from said center, a series of vertical bearing tubes 4 is secured to of these tubes is also similarly secured to one of the web plates 3. These tubes, therefore, are rigidly supported and also contribute to the rigidity of the supporting structure as a whole. At the center of the plates 1 and 2, a tube Sis secured between said plates to receive a hanger bolt 6 provided at its upper end with a shackle 7 by which it may be suspended from a hoist. Corner braces in the form of tubes 8 may be secured between the plates 1 and 2 so as to stiffen the structure.

Also secured to the plates 1 and 2 by welding or the like, is a series of corner posts in the form of tubes 9 extending downward from the supporting structure and having mounted thereon near their lower ends a floor structure 10 adapted to carry one or more operators and certain supplies. Also the ends of the corner posts 9 are provided with feet or legs 11 in the form of rods, slidably mounted in the tubes 9. The tubes are provided at their lower ends with suitable clamps 12 whereby the legs 11 may be clamped in any adjusted position in the tube. By this arrangement the machine may be suspended on the hoist and after being properly plumbed, the legs 11 may be lowered into contact with the shaft bottom and clamped in that position after which the hoist may be slacked oif so that the machine rests on the feet 11.

Journaled in each of the tubes 4, is a vertical pivot tube 13, Figs. 2, 4, 7 and 8. This tube may be reduced in outside diameter at its upper end to fit the tube 4, thus pro I viding a shoulder 14 adapted to receive a washer 15, which of Fig. 2.

both plates 1 and 2 by Welding or otherwise and each bears against the bottom plate 2, Fig. 4-. Above the top plate 1 a similar washer 16 is placed on the tube 13 and the upper end of said tube is threaded to receive a nut 17 to secure the tube in place. The washer 16 may be suitably keyed to the tube 13 so as to rotate therewith. The tube 13 is thus journaled in the tube 4 for movement therein as a pivot. The lower portion of the tube 13 forms of bottom ears 19 welded or otherwise secured to the tube 13. The four tubes 13 are supported at their upper ends in the tubes 4 as just described, while at their lower ends a supporting member is provided in the form of a plate 20, having a series of perforations 20 adapted to receivethe lower ends of the tubes 13, Figs. 4 and 8. The plate 20 is retained in place by a series of strips 21, one for each of the tubes 13. Each of these strips is held in place by a rod 22 having a hook 23 at its upper end which is hooked over the top. end of the tube 13. The lower end of this rod is threaded and after passing through a hole in the strip 21, it is provided with a locking nut 24. Thus the plate 20 provides a member connecting all of the tubes 13 whereby each of said tubes is supported against side thrust by the others.

Pivoted at 25, on each pair of ears 18 is an extensible arm comprising a tube 26 and a tube 27 slidable therein. The tube 27 has mounted thereon a rack 28, extending through a slot in the tube 26 and engaging a pinion 29 journaled in bearing brackets 30 on the tube 26. Thus by means of the pinion 29, the tube 27 may be moved into or out of the tube 26 to "adjust the length of this arm.' Pivoted at 31 on a pair of brackets 32 on the tube 26 is a hydraulic jack'comprising a cylinder 33 and a plunger 34 movable therein. The plunger 34 is pivoted at 35 to the bottom ears 19 on the tube 13. A flexible hose is arranged tov supply hydraulic fluid to the cylinder 33. This hose is connected to a pair of valves 37 and38 which in turn are connected by ducts 39 and 40 which pass up through the tube 13 to a reservoir and pump for supplying hydraulic fluid as will be described laterw By means of this jack the arm 26-27 may beeleyated on its pivot 25 to any desired position within its range of adjustment and by closing both'valves 37 and 38, it will'be retained in that positioni A stop 261, fixed on each arm 26-27 but being free of connection to the overlying structure, limits upward swinging movement of the arm.

The end of the tube 27 is provided with a fork 41 having a cross bar 42 on which is mounted a bracket 43. Mounted on the bracket 43 is a drill 44 of any suitable type. In the embodiment illustrated, a drill of the type shown and described in Patent No. 2,559,282 issued to J. C. Curtis July 13, 1951, is shown. The bracket 43 is perforated and the bar 42 is similarly perforated at 42a, Fig. 4 to receive a pin 45 by which the bracket is mounted at a fixed angle with respect to the tube 27 as shown in Fig. 4, however, said bracket 43 is provided with a second perforation 46 which when engaged by the pin 45 sets the bracket at such an angle that the ma chine may be hoisted from the shaft without danger of the drill engaging the shaft wall.

The lower face of the plate 2 is provided with four scale plates 47. Each scale plate 47 is provided with scale indicators 48, providing an angle scale centered on the tube 13. Mounted on a plate 49 extending between each pair of the cars 18 is an index pointer 50 extending across the adjacent scale 47. This scale and pointer may be used to set the drill arm 2627 at any desired angle with reference to the frame of the machine. It will be seen that by arranging the indicator marks 48 in a. suitable pattern, the spacing of the holes drilled in the shaft bottom may be regulated, each mark 48 representing the angular location of a given hole. The corresponding radial location is obtained by a proper adjustment of the hydraulic jack 33. These adjustments are usually made by setting said jack to a given distance between the lower end of the cylinder 33 and the lower end of the plunger 34, a definite schedule of such dimensions being provided for each pattern of holes to be drilled. Also the marks 48 are set at definite radii on the plate 47 to correspond with the definite adjustments on the jack 33.

As has been pointed out, each of the four arms 2627 carries a drill 44. These drills are of the pneumatic type and are served from a common reservoir of compressed air. The tubes 13 are offset from the center of the top structure so that there is a space left between these tubes and below such structure. In this space is a compressed air reservoir 51 (Fig. 4). Air tube connections 52a extend from outlets 52 (Fig. 4) in this reservoir to the respective drills 44. This reservoir is kept supplied with compressed air by a suitable supply duct 52b from an air pump or main reservoir usually installed at the surface level. The supply of air to each drill 44 is regulated in the usual manner by control valves on the drill. During the drilling operation water is usually passed down into the drill hole through a hollow drill bit. A reservoir for supplying such water, indicated at 53, is also mounted in the space between the tubes 13 on top of the air tank 51, as shown in Fig. 4. Suitable hose connections 5311 (Fig. 4) are provided from this reservoir to the respective drills and a supply hose 53b extending to the surface level is also connected to the reservoir 53.

Mounted on the top structure between the plates 1 and 2 is a reservoir 54 containing a supply of hydraulic fluid for the jacks 33. Mounted on top of the plate 1 is a pump 55 driven by a motor 56 which may be an air motor or an electric motor or other suitable type for driving the pump 55. The discharge of the pump 55 is connected to a manifold 55 from which a supply duct 39 runs down inside the tube 13 to the valve 37 for each of the jacks 33. The return duct 40 from each of said jacks also passes up the tube 13 to the reservoir 54 so that the fluid exhausted from the jack is returned to said reservoir. The pump 55 and the motor 56 may be covered by a canopy 57 to afford some protection against the weather.

Two diagonally opposite corner posts 9, each have mounted thereon a ladder structure indicated generally at 58. This structure, illustrated in Figs. 2, 9 and 10, comprises a half tube 59 fitted to the post 9 and secured by clamps 60. The rungs 61 of the ladder are welded or otherwise secured to the half tube 59 to extend horizontally outward therefrom. The outer ends of these rungs are similarly secured to a vertical channel 62. The two channels 62 provide guides engageable with guide rails 99, Fig. 9, secured to the walls of the shaft so as to guide the machine in lowering the same into the shaft or hoisting it out of the shaft.

The floor structure 10 provides a lower brace for the corner posts 9. It comprises a horizontal plate 63 bound by upright rim flanges 64 and stiffened by diagonal ribs 65. At the corners of the floor structure short vertical tubes 66 are provided which are welded to the plate 63 and are closed at the bottom. These provide convenient receptacles for drill steel and the like during the drilling operation and for safe handling of the same while the machine is being raised or lowered in the shaft. At the center of the fioor structure a similar short tube 67 is provided which extends through the plate 63. This tube is accurately centered and provides a central opening through which a plumb line may be suspended for plumbing the machine over the center of the shaft.

In the use of this machine the same is suspended by means of the shackle 7 from a suitable hoist at the surface level. The channels 62 are engaged with the guide rails as the machine enters the shaft at the top. It is thus guided in its descent to the bottom of the shaft, the operators riding down with it on the deck 10. As the guide rails on the shaft walls may terminate somewhat short of the shaft bottom, the machine may leave these rails when it reaches the bottom. It is then plumbed by suspending a plumb line through the center of the tube 67 to a point on the shaft bottom previously determined to be in the axis of the shaft. With the machine in this plumbed position, the clamps 12 are loosened and the legs 11 let down into contact with the shaft bottom, whereupon the clamps 12 are tightened again to secure the legs in their adjusted positions. The hoist may then be slacked off and the machine rests on the shaft bottom.

The arms 26-27 are then adjusted to their proper angular positions on their pivots 25. This is done by opening the valve 37 to permit the hydraulic pressure to enter the cylinder 33 and lift the arm. When the desired position has been reached, the valve 37 is closed and since the valve 38 has been closed during this operation, the jack is secured in its adjusted position. Assuming that the first of these adjusted positions is the one shown at the left of Fig. 2, the arm 26-27 is rotated on the pivot tube 13 until the pointer 50 comes opposite the desired mark 48 on the scale plate. With the arm in the position shown at the left of Fig. 2, one of the marks 48 in the outer circle of the plate 47 would be taken, since this circle of marks corresponds to that adjustment of the arm 26-27. All four of the arms 26-27 may be simultaneously adjusted and set at their proper angles on the scale plate 47. The drill 44 is then put into operation to drill a hole in the shaft bottom. When the proper depth hole has been drilled, the arm may be swung on the pivot 13 to another mark 48 of the outer circle and another hole drilled in this position. When all of the holes in the outer circle have been drilled, the arm 26-27 may be adjusted to drill a new circle of holes. This may be done by opening the valve 38 so as to permit the hydraulic fluid to exhaust from the cylinder 33 until the arm 2627 is lowered to the desired adjustment, whereupon the valve 38 is closed to secure that adjustment. The angular adjustment of the arm is now set to one of the marks 48 in the second circle and the drilling operation carried out as before.

In Fig. 16 the positions of the feet 11 are indicated. Each pair of feet 11 defines a quadrant of the shaft bottom. In each quadrant a series of holes 68 drilled in the shaft bottom follows the same pattern as in each other quadrant. It will be noted; that the angle :ofithe drill 44 with respect tothe arm 26- 27 is fixed.1, In the embodiment illustrated, this angle is approximately 58 degrees. Accordingly the holes in the outer circle will be drilled approximately at the angle indicated byline 69 in Fig. 17. As the next circle of holes is drilled, the angle is changed somewhatby-lowering the arm 2627 so that the second circle of holes will be drilled at the angle indicated byline 70 in Fig.17. These holes are angularly spaced as shown in Fig. 16 by setting the pointer 50 successively on the marks 48 of the second circle from the outside of the plate 47. Similarly the third circle of holes will be at the angle indicated by the line 71 and the inner circle by the line 72. Thus each circle of holes except the outer one defines an inverted cone coaxial with the shaft. This pattern of drilling has been found etficient in facilitating the blasting operation which follows. and insuring that the shaft will go down straight.

It will be seen that this invention. provides a simple and efficient machine for this type of drilling. It is easy to handle by simply lowering into the shaft and after plumbing it rests on the bottom. Four drills may be operated simultaneously, but completely independently of each other one in each quadrant and the pattern of holes is so arranged that the final complete pattern for the shaft is symmetrical with respect to the axis of the shaft. Any desired size of shaft can be sunk as the arm 2627 is extensible. Also any pattern of holes can easily be carried out by simply arranging the scale plates 47 and the schedule of settings for the jacks 33 to correspond to the desired pattern. When the machine is to be removed from the shaft after the drilling operation, the arms 26 are lowered and the pins 45 are changed to the other holes 46. This reduces the angle between the arm 26 and the drill 44 so that said drill will be spaced from the shaft wall sufficiently to avoid striking it during the ascent. In hoisting, the channels 62 are re-engaged with the guide rails on the shaft wall and the entire machine is lifted out.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of the invention may be used without the whole, and improvements may be added while retaining some or all of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A drilling machine for use in sinking mine shafts, comprising, a frame having a top structure including upper and lower horizontal plates and a plurality of vertical web plates extending between and secured to said horizontal plates, a plurality of bearing tubes extending vertically between said upper and lower plates and secured thereto, and a plurality of drilling mechanisms swiveled one in each of said bearing tubes, each of said mechanisms including a bracket having a pivot tube journaled in one of said bearing tubes, an arm pivoted for vertical swinging movement on said bracket, a hydraulic jack on said bracket adjustable to support said arm in different positions on its pivot, flexible ducts passing within said pivot tube connected to supply by draulic fluid to said jack, and a drill on the free end of said arm.

2. A drilling machine for use in sinking mine shafts, comprising, a frame having a supporting top structure including upper and lower horizontal plates and a plurality of vertical web plates extending between and secured to said horizontal plates, a plurality of corner posts secured to said structure to extend downward therefrom, a floor structure secured to the lower ends of said corner posts, a plurality of bearing tubes extending vertically between said upper and lower plates and secured thereto, and a plurality of drilling mechanisms swiveled one in each of said bearing tubes, each of said mechanisms including a bracket having a pivot journaled in one of said bearing tubes, an arm pivoted for vertical swinging movement on said bracket, a jack on said bracket adjustable to support said arm in different positions onits pivot, and a drill mounted on the free end of said arm. c

. 3. A drilling machine for use in the sinking of mine shafts, comprising, a frame having a supporting top structure, means on said top structure by which said frame may be suspended to lower it into and raise it out of the mine shaft, a plurality of corner posts secured to said top structure and extending downwardly therefrom, an operators working deck secured to the lower ends of said corner posts, legs adjustably secured to the lower ends of said corner posts to engage the bottom of'the mineshaft, a plurality of mounting means mounted on said top structure for lateral swinging movement about vertical axes disposed around the central axis of said frame, said mounting means extending downwardly from said top structure, an outwardly extending arm pivoted on each of said mounting means near said top structure for vertical swinging movement,-a power jack pivotally mountedon each of said mounting means near the lower end thereofand being pivotally connected to the arm mounted on the same mounting means, jack control means mounted on each of said mounting means below said top structure for controlling said jacks so as to adjust the angular positions of said arms relative to said mounting means, and a drill mounted on the free end of each of said arms at a predetermined angle therewith and extending downwardly toward the bottom of the mine shaft.

4. A drilling machine for use in sinking mine shafts, comprising, a frame having a supporting top structure including upper and lower horizontal plates and a plurality of vertical web plates extending between and secured to said horizontal plates, a reservoir for hydraulic fluid mounted on said top structure, a plurality of corner posts secured to said top structure and extending downwardly therefrom, an operators working deck secured to the lower ends of said corner posts, legs adjustably secured to the lower ends of said corner posts to engage the bottom of the mine shaft, a plurality of bearing tubes extending vertically between and secured to said upper and lower plates at positions disposed about the central axis of said top structure, a plurality of mounting brackets each having a pivot tube journaled in one of said bearing tubes and a portion depending from said top structure but terminating above said deck, a compressed air reservoir mounted between the depending portions of said mounting brackets, an outwardly extending arm pivoted on each of said depending bracket portions near said top structure for vertical swinging movement, a hydraulic jack pivotally mounted on each of said depending bracket portions near the lower end thereof and being pivotally connected to the arm mounted on the same bracket portion, valve means on the depending portion of each bracket, a conduit passing from said reservoir for hydraulic fluid down through each of said pivot tubes to said valve means, a conduit connecting each of said jacks with the valve means on the same depending bracket portion, a pneumatic drill mounted on the free end of each of said arms at a predetermined angle therewith, and flexible conduits connecting each of said drills with said compressed air reservoir.

5. A drilling machine for use in sinking mine shafts, comprising, a frame having a supporting top structure including upper and lower horizontal plates and a plurality of vertical web plates extending between and secured to said horizontal plates, a reservoir for hydraulic fluid mounted on said top structure, a plurality of corner posts secured to said top structure and extending downwardly therefrom, an operators working deck secured to the lower ends of said corner posts, legs adjustably secured to the lower ends of said corner posts to engage the bottom of the mine shaft, a plurality of bearing tubes extending vertically between and secured to said upper and lower plates at positions disposed about the central axis of said top structure, a plurality of mounting brackets each havinga pivot tube journaled in one of said bearing tubes and a portion depending from said top structure but terminating above said deck, scale means on the bottom of said lower plate having indicia thereon corresponding to various angular portions at which holes are to be drilled in the mine shaft bottom, an index element mounted for movement with the depending portion of each of said mounting brackets and cooperating with said scale means, a compressed air reservoir mounted between the depending portions of said mounting brackets, an outwardly extending arm pivoted on each of said depending bracket portions near said top structure for vertical swinging movement, means for adjusting the lengths of said arms to permit the formation of mine shafts of different diameters, a hydraulic jack pivotally mounted on each of said depending bracket portions near the lower end thereof and being pivotally connected to the arm mounted on the same bracket portion, valve means on the depending portion of each bracket, a conduit passing from said reservoir for hydraulic fluiddown through each of said pivot tubes to saidvalve means, a conduit connecting each of said jacks References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 453,780 Warren June 9, 1891 1,242,775 Curtis Oct. 9, 1917 2,143,848 Gilman Jan. 17, 1939 2,386,266 Robertson Oct. 9, 1945 2,500,932 Curtis et a1. Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 106,371 France 1875 245,797 Germany Apr. 18, 1912 

